It is popular for different organizations and groups to come up with plant of the Year. This is the plant of the Year with the National Garden Associaion. Asclepias tuberosa 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year™ A great pollinator plant! You will also know it as Butterfly weed, butterfly plant and a member of the milkweed family.

Butterfly Weed - A North American Native PlantAsclepias tuberosa are butterfly magnets. Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a source for the monarch butterfly caterpillars. Additionally, butterfly weed is subject to no serious insect or disease problems. Deer usually avoid butterfly weed.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 4 to 9 Light: Butterfly weed grows best in full sun Soil: Grows best in well-drained soils and it is drought tolerant Uses: Butterfly weed is a perfect selection for full-sun meadow or prairie gardens as well as formal to semi-formal urban gardens. Flower arrangers find the plants make long-lasting cut flowers.

For more information about Asclepias tuberosa, visit the Perennial Plant Association

Founded in 1920, the National Garden Bureau is a non-profit organization whose mission is to disseminate basic instructions and inspirations for backyard gardeners and those who want to garden; encouraging them to spend more time outdoors enjoying all nature has to offer. taken from Perennial Plant Association's Perennial Plant of the Year for 2017Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa